1994 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1994 (Project Gutenberg)
Introduction
Administrative divisions
none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 3 provinces named Iles Loyaute, Nord, and Sud
Affiliation
(overseas territory of France)
Agriculture
large areas devoted to cattle grazing; coffee, corn, wheat, vegetables; 60% self-sufficient in beef
Airports
total: 30 usable: 28 with permanent-surface runways: 4 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 1
Area
total area: 19,060 sq km land area: 18,760 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey
Birth rate
22.39 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Branches
Gendarmerie, Police Force
Budget
revenues: $224 million expenditures: $211 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1985 est.)
Capital
Noumea
Climate
tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid
Coastline
2,254 km
Constitution
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Currency
1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes
Death rate
4.96 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Digraph
NC
Diplomatic representation in US
none (overseas territory of France)
Economic aid
recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $4.185 billion
Electricity
capacity: 400,000 kW production: 2.2 billion kWh consumption per capita: 12,790 kWh (1990)
Environment
current issues: NA natural hazards: typhoons most frequent from November to March international agreements: NA
Ethnic divisions
Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%, Polynesian 3.8%, Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3%
Exchange rates
Comptoirs Francais duPacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1 - 107.63 (January 1994), 102.96 (1993), 96.24 (1992), 102.57 (1991), 99.00 (1990), 115.99 (1989); note - linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc
Executive branch
chief of state: President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981) head of government: High Commissioner and President of the Council of Government Alain CHRISTNACHT (since 15 January 1991; appointed by the French Ministry of the Interior); President of the Territorial Congress Simon LOUECKHOTE (since 26 June 1989) cabinet: Consultative Committee
Exports
$671 million (f.o.b., 1989) commodities: nickel metal 87%, nickel ore partners: France 32%, Japan 23.5%, US 3.6%
External debt
$NA
Fiscal year
calendar year
Flag
the flag of France is used
French National Assembly
elections last held 21 March 1993 (next to be held 21 and 28 March 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (2 total) RPCR 2
French Senate
elections last held 27 September 1992 (next to be held September 2001); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1 total) RPCR 1
Highways
total: 6,340 km paved: 634 km unpaved: 5,706 km (1987)
Illicit drugs
illicit cannabis cultivation is becoming a principal source of income for some families
Imports
$764 million (c.i.f., 1989) commodities: foods, fuels, minerals, machines, electrical equipment partners: France 44.0%, US 10%, Australia 9%
Independence
none (overseas territory of France; a referendum on independence will be held in 1998)
Industrial production
growth rate NA%
Industries
nickel mining and smelting
Infant mortality rate
15.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.4% (1990)
International disputes
none
Irrigated land
NA sq km
Judicial branch
Court of Appeal
Labor force
50,469 foreign workers for plantations and mines from Wallis and Futuna, Vanuatu, and French Polynesia (1980 est.) by occupation: NA
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 14% forest and woodland: 51% other: 35%
Languages
French, 28 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects
Legal system
the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands; formerly under French law
Legislative branch
unicameral
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 73.62 years male: 70.32 years female: 77.09 years (1994 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1976) total population: 91% male: 91% female: 90%
Location
Oceania, Melanesia, in the South Pacific Ocean, 1,750 km east of Australia
Map references
Oceania
Maritime claims
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Member of
ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU, SPC, WFTU, WMO
Names
conventional long form: Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies conventional short form: New Caledonia local long form: Territoire des Nouvelle-Caledonie et Dependances local short form: Nouvelle-Caledonie
National holiday
National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
National product
GNP - exchange rate conversion - $1 billion (1991 est.)
National product per capita
$6,000 (1991 est.)
National product real growth rate
2.4% (1988)
Nationality
noun: New Caledonian(s) adjective: New Caledonian
Natural resources
nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper
Net migration rate
0.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Note
defense is the responsibility of France
Overview
New Caledonia has more than 25% of the world's known nickel resources. In recent years the economy has suffered because of depressed international demand for nickel, the principal source of export earnings. Only a negligible amount of the land is suitable for cultivation, and food accounts for about 25% of imports.
Political parties and leaders
white-dominated Rassemblement pour la Caledonie dans la Republique (RPCR), conservative, Jacques LAFLEUR - affiliated to France's Rassemblement pour la Republique (RPR); Melanesian proindependence Kanaka Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS), Paul NEAOUTYINE; Melanesian moderate Kanak Socialist Liberation (LKS), Nidoish NAISSELINE; National Front (FN), extreme right, Guy GEORGE; Caledonie Demain (CD), right-wing, Bernard MARANT; Union Oceanienne (UO), conservative, Michel HEMA; Front Uni de Liberation Kanak (FULK), proindependence, Clarence UREGEI; Union Caledonian (UC), Francois BURCK
Population
181,309 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate
1.79% (1994 est.)
Ports
Noumea, Nepoui, Poro, Thio
Religions
Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10%
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Telecommunications
32,578 telephones (1987); broadcast stations - 5 AM, 3 FM, 7 TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Terrain
coastal plains with interior mountains
Territorial Assembly
elections last held 11 June 1989 (next to be held 1993); results - RPCR 44.5%, FLNKS 28.5%, FN 7%, CD 5%, UO 4%, other 11%; seats - (54 total) RPCR 27, FLNKS 19, FN 3, other 5; note - election boycotted by FULK
Total fertility rate
2.62 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Type
overseas territory of France since 1956
Unemployment rate
16% (1989)
US diplomatic representation
none (overseas territory of France)